Forever
by micbb
Summary: Rose had one goal in the universe. Protect The Doctor. Future Rose meets every incarnation of The Doctor, turning up in his life when he needs her most. Rating subject to change. Sort of a prequel for In Between


**Hey guys. This is my first time writing the first Doctor. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of it. Please let me know if you think I can fix anything. **

Rose Tyler had one goal in the universe.

Protect The Doctor.

Because as the Defender of the Earth, there was one thing that she could do that would protect the planet, it was keep The Doctor alive.

* * *

The Doctor stood in his TARDIS, leaning against the console of his ship. He had just lost Susan to the human David Campbell. He would see her again, he told himself, unsure of whether or not it was a consolation or a promise. It wasn't as though she was completely out of reach.

Ian and Barbara had been sent away from the console room, leaving him room to ponder.

In a huff, The Doctor stood straight and left the TARDIS, closing and locking the door behind him.

He was about to walk, hoping the air would clear his head, when a warm voice called out to him. He turned to see a young girl in her mid-twenties, plainly a human, with blonde hair and a wide smile, sitting casually on a bench. She was wearing a shirt that was quite frankly an alarming shade of pink and grey trousers.

When he caught her eye, she grinned. "Hello."

He gave her a curt nod and started to walk away. Only a few steps in, he stopped, frowned, and turned to look at the girl, then to his time-and-space machine. Following his eye, she turned to look at the TARDIS, the back at The Doctor, and her smile widened significantly.

Determinedly, The Doctor walked back to her. "If you'd excuse me, my dear, may I sit down?" She nodded, and he sat. "Now," he continued. "What did you see?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, pardon?" Her accent was…different, he noted. He hadn't heard anyone speak the way she did before.

Filing this information away, he continued to interrogate. "Come, child, how long have you been sitting here?" He pressed, wondering if he would have to erase her memories of his TARDIS, or force her to come on board, as he'd done with Ian and Barbara.

"Not long," the blonde replied with a smile. "I was waiting for you."

His face hardened. "Child, if you're some sort of investigator…"

She barked out a laugh. "An investigator? Do I look like an investigator?" He liked her laugh, he realized. It wasn't fake, she was genuine, which made him want to smile as well, but he kept his face serious. The look he gave her clearly indicated that he was not amused in the slightest. She sighed. "Look, Doctor…" she started.

"Excuse me?" He cut in, not minding his rudeness at interrupting her. "How do you know me? I've never seen you in my life, and I assure you, I'd remember." The girl brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and said nothing. "What do you want, child?" He demanded.

Her head tilted slightly. "Blimey, you're rude from the start, aren't you?" He recoiled slightly at her words. _'From the start?' _Would he know her later? How much later? "I'm here to talk about Susan." She said gently.

His eyes snapped to hers. "You leave my Susan alone." He said, his tone dangerous.

She had the audacity to roll her eyes. "I'm not _threatening _her. I'm here because you need to talk about her."

"Why?" He said sharply. "Why should I listen to an impertinent child?"

"Because if you don't talk to me about her, and I don't listen to you, your pain at her loss will consume you." She stated simply. "You will go back to Gallifrey, tail between your legs, and never come back here. Then I never would have met you, so I couldn't be here." Rose spoke carefully, not wanting to give The Doctor too much information. "But I am here, obviously, which means you talk to me about it."

"What is there to say?" He said. "She's happy."

The blonde nodded. "She is."

He shot her a confused look. "Have you met her?"

"Yes."

Another look. "She's never mentioned you."

"She hasn't met me yet."

He frowned. "Why are you doing this, child?"

She grabbed his hand and held it, surprising him at how soft her skin was and how well their hands fit together. "Because you miss her." She said easily.

"I do miss her." He sighed, lost in the feeling of her hand. "But she needs to belong somewhere. She needs to be able to call somewhere home. It's better for her." He said, seemingly repeating the speech he'd given Susan after locking her out of the TARDIS. "Regardless of all that, she's in love with that human boy."

The blonde nodded. "She is."

"And I'll see her again," he continued, shooting her what he hoped was a subtle look she wouldn't notice, so that he confirm that he would see his Susan again.

To his relief, she nodded again. "You will."

He nodded to himself. "And I must travel on, to see new worlds and faces, to help those who need it." He said, assuring himself that it was indeed what he would do.

She only smiled at him.

"When do I see you again, child?" He asked her. "This has been a …strange encounter."

Her grinned widened. "Yes, it has been." She said nothing regarding whether or not they would meet again, but she nodded toward his ship. "You have to go."

"Pardon?"

She squeezed his hand. "You have to go. You've said what you needed to say. Now your companions are on their way to the console room, and won't be impressed to find you missing."

"Of course," he stood quickly. "It was interesting meeting you, Miss…?"

She stayed sitting, smiling up at him with her legs crossed and her hands folded together, resting on her knees. "I was nice to see you, Doctor."

He waited for her to say her name, but she said nothing else, simply choosing to smile at him and wait. With a sigh, he turned and walked toward the TARDIS. As he put his key in the lock, he turned to her again, to say a final goodbye.

She wasn't on the bench.

Or anywhere he could see, actually. She couldn't possible run so fast as to leave his sight in a matter of seconds. Especially not with the bright pink shirt.

With a small huff, he unlocked the TARDIS and stepped inside, and immediately began preparing for his next trip.

**Review**


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